Bridging Social Innovation and Gender Equality: Possibilities and Pitfalls

Abstract

It is widely accepted today that both social innovation and gender equality influence social progress, but little is known about how the two may interact and influence one another. The fields of social innovation and gender equality remain completely discrete and virtually no effort has been made to connect them. Through an interdisciplinary literature review of the two fields, 27 semi-structured in-depth interviews with scholars and practitioners of social innovation, and findings and observations from a 6-month (Studio Y) fellowship at MaRS Discovery District, Canada’s largest innovation hub, this article explores the understanding key players in the fields of gender equality, social innovation, and social entrepreneurship have about the relationship between gender equality and social innovation. Findings highlight why the field of social innovation must develop a gender lens as well as the importance of documenting the contributions made by women and other marginalized groups. By identifying the major commonalities, oversights and blind spots in the two fields, this article provides new insights about social innovation, gender equality and social change.